Front-band construction for firearms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 13, 1943. D. M. WILLIAMS FRONT-BAND CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. 3, 1942 D. M. WILLIAMS FRONT-BAND CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS .Fufly 13, 1943.

I Filed Jan. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 13, 1943 David M. Williams, New Haven, Conn, assignor to Western Cartridge Company, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Application January 3, 1942, Serial No. 425,501

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in firearms and relates more particularly to improvements in the construction of the front-band and adjacent elements in firearms of the military type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior firearm-structure wherein the front-band is held in place with capacity for ready release and in which the device, coasting with the front-band for releasably retaining the same in place, is in turn retained in place by the front-band proper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior front-band construction for firearms in which there is a minimum amount of unnecessary projections, to thus avoid the tearing of clothing and interference with the free and rapid manipulation of the firearm.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a broken view in side elevation of the forward portion of a firearm equipped with the improved front-band construction of the present $11 invention;

Fig. 2 is an underside view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a broken view of the structure of the preceding figures, with the barrel in side elevation and the stock, barrel-cover and front-band in vertical central-longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 but with the sling-strap omitted;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a broken underside view of the forward portion of the stock detached;

Fig. '7 is a top or plan View of the front-band detached; 1

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of the frontband detached;

Fig. 9 is a view in vertical central-longitudinal section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the front-band retainer detached.

Since the present invention relates only to the portions of firearms adjacent the forward ends thereof, the firearm illustrated in the accompanying drawings shows the forward portion of a barrel l5 and the similar portion of a stock it and barrel-cover or hand-guard ll. As shown, the forward end of the barrel I5 is provided with a sight l8 rigidly secured to the said barrel by a transverse locking-pin l9. Preferably and to insure the accurate alignment of the sight l8, the barrel I5 is provided with an upwardly-andlongitudinally-extending key 26 extending longitudinally along the upper surface of the said barrel and engaged with the sight, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Slightly to the rear of the front sight It, a front-band generally designated by the reference character 2! encircles the adjacent portion of the barrel l5. Like the barrel l5 and sight IS, the front-band 2| just referred to is preferably formed of high-grade steel, while the stock 26 and barrel-cover I! are preferably formed of wood or other suitable heat-insulating material.

The said front-band 2! is formed with a relatively-large-size passage 22 extending therethrough from front to rear and includes a bandlike retaining-portion 23 snugly laterally enveloping the adjacent portion of the barrel #5, as is particularly well shown in Fig. 5. In the upper portion of the band-like retaining-portion 23 just referred to, the front-band 2! is formed with a downwardly-opening longitudinal groove 24 designed and adapted to slide over the key 28 of the barrel l5 when the said front-band is being either installed or removed from the firearm during the absence of the said sight l8 from the structure.

The front-band 21 is also provided on its rear upper portion with a rearwardly-extending retaining-lip 25 of substantially-semicircular form crosswise of the front-band and receiving interiorly of itself a similarly-shaped tenon 25 formed on the front end of the barrel-cover or handguard IT, as is especially well shown in Fig. 3. Also as is shown in the figure referred to, the said barrel-cover is formed interiorly with a downwardly-opening longitudinal groove 2'. of sub stantially-semicircular form in cross section and providing for the clearance of the upper portion of the barrel l5 and to provide a ventilation passage therearound.

The respective lower edges of the barrel-cover ll on each of the respective opposite sides of the barrel l5 rest upon the adjacent upper edges of the stock [6. The said stock is formed at its forward end with a tenon 23 projecting forwardly into and through the passage 22 in the frontband 2|. The said tenon 28, and a part of the forward portion of the stock It proper, is formed with an upwardly-facing groove 29 of substantially-semicircular form in cross section and shaped to clear the retaining-portion 23 of the front-band 2| and the adjacent portion of the barrel l5. To the rear of its tenon 28, the stock I6 is formed with a deep upwardly-opening longitudinal clearance-recess 30 communicating at its forward end with the groove 29 and providing not only to maintain the adjacent surface of the said stock clear of the barrel IE but also to lighten the stock I5.

The tenon 26 of the barrel-cover H, by its projection interiorly of the retaining-lip 25 of the front-band 2 I, serves to maintain the said barrelcover I! against upward displacement relative to the said front-band. In turn, the barrel-cover I! is prevented from downward displacement relative to the front-band 2| by having the under faces of its respective opposite sides resting upon the upper surfaces of the respective opposite sides of the stock IS in a plane substantially corresponding to the horizontal center line of the barrel iii. The stock i6 is prevented from downward displacement relative to the front-band 25 by the entry of its tenon 28 into the passage 22 in the said front-band. Conversely, the forward portion of the stock if; is prevented from upward displacement relative to the front-band 2| by the engagement of the upper faces of its respective opposite sides with the adjacent under faces of the barrel-cover H.

Since, as above described, the stock it and the barrel-cover ii are stabilized against displacement relative to the front-band 2|, it follows that if the front-band itself is stabilized against vertical displacement relative to the barrel Hi, the said parts i6 and Will, in turn, be held against displacement relative to the said barrel !5. The stabilization of the front-band 2| relative to the barrel i is accomplished by the retaining-portion 23 of the said front-band which, in effect, snugly embraces the adjacent portion of the barrel, as is especially well shown in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of holding the front-band 2| against forward displacement relative to the stock i5 and the barrel-cover ii, a front-band retainer 3! is employed (Fig. which is preferably formed of spring-tempered steel. The said retainer 3| includes a cylindrically-contoured stem 32 which upstands from the rear end of the retainer and preferably is integral with a vertically-flexible horizontal arm 33. The arm 33 just referred to, in effect, constitutes the body of the retainer and intermediate its respective opposite ends it is preferably thinned as shown, to give it the desired degree of flexibility in a vertical direction. The front end of the arm 33 of the retainer 3! is formed with an integral head 34 having a rearwardiy-facing locking-abutment and an upwardly-andforwardly-curving under face 33, all for purposes as will more fully hereinafter appeal.

The flexible arm 33 of the retainer 3| is accommodated in a longitudinal groove 3? formed in the under face of the tenon 28 of the stock it. The stem 32 of the retainer 3| is accommodated in a vertical bore 38 formed in the rear portion of the tenon 28 of the stock iii and communicating in its lower end with the rear portion of the groove 3'! and communicating at its upper end with the groove 23 in the upper face of the said tenon, as is especially well shown in Fig. 3.

vhen installed in the tenon 28 of the stock iii, the retainer 3! has its arm 33 so tensioned as to yieldingly maintain the locking-abutment 35 of Lil its head 34 in engagement with a forwardlyfacing locking-abutment 39. The said lockingabutment 39 constitutes the rear wall of a notch 40 formed in the under portion of the frontband 2| and opening forwardly therefrom, as is especially well shown in Fig. 7.

When the parts are assembled as is especially well shown in Fig. 3, the front-band is prevented from being forwardly displaced relative to the stock i6 and barrel-cover I! by the rearwardlyfacing locking-abutment 35 of the front-band retainer 3|. Rearward displacement of the said front-band 2| is prevented by a forwardly-facing shoulder 5| formed on the stock IE5 at the rear terminus of its tenon 28, and by a forwardlyfacing shoulder t2 formed on the barrel-cover I! at the rear terminus of its tenon 26. In assembling the structure, it may be noted that after the stock B and barrel-cover i l have been located upon the barrel I5 and the retainer 3| has been assembled with the stock IS, the front-band may be readily slid rearwardly over the tenons 23 and 28 inasmuch as the rear edge of the lower portion of the front-band 2| will engage with the sloping under face 38 of the retainer and automatically flex the arm 33 toward the barrel |5 as the said front-band is slid rearwardly. As soon as the rear face of the front-band 2| is substantially seated against the shoulders 4| and 62 respectively of the stock It and barrel-cover ii, the locking-abutment 35 of the retainer will snap down into a position forwardly of the lockingabutment 39 of the front-band 2| to thereby lock the said front-band against forward displacement relative to the structure.

To remove the front-band, the head 33 of the retainer 3! may be pressed toward the barrel l5 to thereby disengage its locking-abutment 35 from the locking-abutment 39 of the front-band 2|, whereupon the said front-band may he slid axially forwardly clear of both the stock it and barrel-cover i1.

Preferably and as shown, the entire rear portion of the front-band retainer 3| is covered by the front-band 2|, and the stem 32 of the retainer is thereby positively prevented from downward movement.

Furthermore, by having the stem 32 or its equivalent of the retainer 3| located in vertical alignment with the front-band 2| and virtually enclosed therein, the stock |6 may be provided with the deep clearance-recess 30 without depriving the retainer of a rugged mount. The virtual envelopment of the rear portion of the retainer 3| and its stem 32 by the front-band 2| or its equivalent, renders the under portion of the stock l6 substantially free of protuberances which would snag upon clothing or the like and interfere with the free manipulation of the firearm.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the front-band 2| is provided on its left side with an integral vertically-extending strap-loop 43 to which is attached the forward end of a slingstrap 44, which however forms no essential feature of the present invention.

The present invention is primarily adapted for use in very light carbines (of five pounds weight or less) though not so limited. By means of the present invention, not only is the firearm largely streamlined and free of snagging protuberances adjacent the forward portion of its stock, but the front-band retainer may be so light in weight as not to add materially to the weight of the firearm. Furthermore, and as before pointed out,

by locating the stem 32 of the retainer 3| in position to be enveloped by the front-band, the stock It may have its clearance-recess 30 xtended substantially to the tenon 28 to thereby achieve a further economy in weight Without depriving the structure of the necessary ruggedness.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A front-band construction for firearms including in combination: a barrel; a stock-member extending adjacent the underside of the said barrel; a barrel-cover member extending adjacent the upper portion of the said barrel; one of the said members being formed with an anchorsocket; a front-band retainer including an anchor-portion extending into the anchor-socket of one of the said members and also including a yielding arm having a locking-abutment engageable with a front-band unit to hold the same against displacement longitudinally of the said barrel; and a front-band unit fitting over portions of each of the said barrel, the said stockmember and the said barrel-cover member, the said front-band unit being constructed and arranged to extend over and substantially conceal the anchor-socket in the said member and the anchor-portion of the said front-band retainer and serving to hold the latter in the said anchorsocket.

2. A front-band construction for firearms including in combination: a barrel; a stock-member extending adjacent the underside of the said barrel; a barrel-cover member extending adjacent the upper portion of the said barrel; one of the said members being formed with a longitudinally-extending recess and with an anchor-socket communicating with the said recess; a frontband retainer including an anchor-portion extending into the anchor-socket of one of the said members and also including a yielding arm located in the longitudinal recess of the said member and having a locking-abutment engageable with a front-band unit to hold the same against displacement longitudinally of the said barrel; and a front-band unit fitting over portions of each of the said barrel, the said stock-member and the said barrel-cover member, the said frontband unit also fitting over and substantially concealing the recess and the anchor-socket in the said member, as well as the anchor-portion of the said front-band retainer and serving to hold the latter in the said anchor-socket.

3. A front-band construction for firearms including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending adjacent the underside of the said barrel and formed at its forward end with a tenon having an anchor-socket therein; a barrel-cover extending adjacent the upper portion of the said barrel; a front-band retainer including an anchor-portion extending into the anchor-socket in the tenon of the said stock and also including a yielding arm having a locking-abutment engageable with a front-band unit to hold the same against displacement longitudinally of the said barrel; and a front-band unit fitting over portions of each of the said barrel and the said barrel-cover and over the tenon of the said stock, the said frontband unit also fitting over and substantially concealing the anchor-socket in the said member and the anchor-portion of the said front-band retainer and serving to hold the latter in the said anchor-socket.

4. A front-band construction for firearms including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending adjacent the underside of the said barrel and formed at its forward end with a tenon, which latter has a longitudinally-extending recess therein and an anchor-socket communicating with a rear portion of the said recess; a barrelcover extending adjacent the upper portion of the said barrel; a front-band retainer including an anchor-portion extending into the anchorsocket in the tenon of the said stock and also including a yielding arm located in the longitudinal recess in the tenon of the said stock and havin a locking-abutment engageable with a front-band unit to hold the same against displacement longitudinally of the said barrel; and a front-band unit fitting over portions of each of the said barrel and the said barrel-cover and over the tenon of the said stock, the said front-band unit also fitting over and substantially concealing the recess and the anchor-socket in the said member as well as the anchor-portion of the said frontband retainer and serving to hold the latter in the said anchor-socket.

5. A front-band construction for firearms including in combination: a barrel; 2. stock extending adjacent the underside of the said barrel and formed at its forward end with a forwardlyfacing stop-shoulder and with a tenon extending forwardly from the said stop-shoulder, the said tenon being formed immediately adjacent the said stop-shoulder with an anchor-socket and with a longitudinal recess extending forwardly from the said anchor-socket; a barrel-cover extending adjacent the upper portion of the said barrel; and a front-band retainer including a vertically-yielding arm located in the longitudinal recess of the tenon of the said stock and having a locking-abutment engageable with a front-band unit to hold the same against forward displacement, the said retainer being provided at its rear end with an upwardly-projecting stem seated in the anchor-socket in the tenon of the said barrel; and a front-band unit fitting over portions of each of the said barrel and the said barrel-cover and over the tenon of the said stock, the said front-band unit having its rear portion located immediately adjacent the stop-shoulder of the said stock and extending over and substantially concealing the longitudinal recess and the anchor-socket in the tenon of the said stock and also extending beneath the stem of the said retainer to positively prevent the downward displacement thereof.

DAVID M. WILLIAMS. 

